Known for her stunningly rich and stimulating paintings, Wellington-based artist Jane Kellahan is no stranger to the New Zealand public. Kellahan is an internationally exhibited artist. In 2009 she won the trans-Tasman Cricket Art Prize in Australia. Her work was exhibited around Australia including Sydney, Queensland, the Olympic Atrium in Melbourne and the Bradman Museum in Bowral. She has exhibited at the the Florence Biennale in Italy, and her work featured in Denis Robinson's book, 'New Zealand's Favourite Artists'. Predominantly self-taught, she attended courses at Central St Martins and Camberwell College of Arts in London. Her work was selected by the Royal Academy of Arts, London in 2000. Born of a mind fascinated by tension and abstraction, Kellahan's paintings draw on atmospheric ambiguity and intuition. She manipulates scale, organic textures and constrained tonal variety to achieve strong works imbued with light and potency. Kellahan's works bear testament to her affinity with the mystical and powerful elements of nature. She is intrigued by the way places and images can affect us at a subconscious and emotional level. 'My inspiration comes from the forces of nature which have the potential to enhance or destroy our environment, and subtly influence our moods and wellbeing,' she says.